Machine for use in the manufacture of shoes



Aug. 22, 1933. R. H.'LAWSON MACHINE FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOESFiled Dec. 8, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 1933- R. H. LAWSON MACHINE FOR USEIN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Filed Dec. 8, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 22,1933. LAWSON 1,923,154

MACHINE FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Filed Dec. 8, 1931 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Fg a.

Aug. 22, 1933. R. H. LAWSON MACHINE FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOESFiled Dec. 8, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Aug. 22, 1933 MACHINE FORUSE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Robert H. Lawson, Beverly, Mass.,assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., aCorporation of New Jersey Application December 8, 1931. Serial No.579,668

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to shoe machines of the type in which ashoe supported upon a jack and the means for operating on the shoe aremoved relatively to transfer the point of operation along the bottommargin of the shoe and in which the relative positions of the shoe andthe operating means are changed as the point of operation is transferredalong. the shoe to present the shoe properly to the operating means.

The invention is intended primarily as an improvement in automatic shoesmachines of the type disclosed in applicants prior Patent No. 1,766,609dated March 26, 1929 and in applicants pending application Serial No.295,080 filed July 24, 1928 which patent and application discloseautomatic side lasting machines constructed and arranged to operatesimultaneously along the opposite sides of the bottom margin of theshoe. Certain features of the invention, however, are well adapted foruse in automatic shoe machines for performing other operations and inmachines which are not automatic or only partially automatic inoperation. Except as hereinafterde- V fined in the claims, therefore,the several features of the invention are not limited to use in anyparticular type of machine.

In the machines of applicants prior patent and application, the jack ispivotally mounted relatively remote from the point of operation on theshoe to swing in directions extending transversely and longitudinally ofthe shoe, the transverse movement permitting the shoe to be 10- cated inthe proper position transversely with relation to the upper tensioningand securing devices and the longitudinal movement permitting the shoeto be fed to transfer the point of operation along the shoe. In order tosupport the shoe and cause it to be presented properly to the uppertensioning and securing devices, the jack is supported in these machinesso that it can move towards and from the upper tensioning and securingdevices in a direction substantially perpendicular to the shoe bottomand so as a center to maintain the bottom of the shoe in the properplane longitudinally of the shoe. Topermit these movements of the jackin the machines of applicants prior patent and pend- 5 ing application,the lower end of a comparatively long horizontal arm is pivotallymounted to swing in vertical planes upon a frame which, in turn, ispivotally mounted upon a swinging lever or frame to swing in horizontalplanes. As a result of this construction, some difiiculty has that itcan be tipped about the point of operation 1 been experienced incontrolling the movements of the shoe so as to bring the shoe into theproper positionfor the successive operation of the upper tensioning andsecuring devices and to hold the shoe securely in position particularlyduring the action of said devices.

In machines of the type disclosed in applicants prior patent and pendingapplication, in which an operation is performed simultaneously alongopposite margins of a shoe bottom, I it is desirable that the shoe bemaintained in a constant angular position with relation to the line offeed as the shoe is moved to transfer the point of operation along theshoe. 1 To secure this result in the machines of applicants patent andpending application, it is necessary to mount the jack in its supportingarm so as to be capable of rotation about a vertical axis and to controlthe angular position of the jack by means of a parallel motion link,thereby adding somewhat to the weight and complication of the jacksupporting structure.

An object of the present invention is to improve the jack supportingstructure of ma chines of the type hereinbefore referred to with a viewto remedying the defects above noted and, with this object in view, afeature of t'he' invention contemplates the provision of a Jack supportmounted to move in a directionsub stantially perpendicular to the bottomsurface of the shoe, and a carrier for the support mounted to move in adirection extending longi-' tudinally of the shoe, one and preferablyboth of said members being mounted for'sliding, as distinguished fromswinging movement. By theuse of sliding members, a simplifiedconstruction is provided and the jack is supported rigidly and securelyin position and canbe manipulated without the production of any lostmotion or looseness in the parts. By mounting the carrier for the jacksupport to slide in a direction extending longitudinally of the shoe,the provision of a rotatable connection between the jack and its supportand a parallel motion controllin link are rendered unnecessary and thejack can be pivotally mounted directly upon .its support. Also, theprovision of a jack support which is mounted to slide in a directionperpendicular to the bottom surface of the shoe permits the use of asimpler and more efficient arrangement of springs for yieldingly forcingthe shoe towards the devices for operating on the shoe.

In the machines of applicant's prior patent.

and pending application, the upper tensioning and securing devices actto perform a lasting operation successively and progressively along theshoe. A f ature of the present invention particularly applicable tothese machines, but also applicable to other machines for performing anoperation successively and progressively along the bottom margin of ashoe contemplates the provision or? means for locking the support forthe jack during each successive operation of the operating means.

The shoe supporting jack of the machine disclosed in applicants pendingapplication above referred to is provided with shoe supporting means inthe form of heel and toe rests pivotally mounted in the jack frame topermit tipping movement of the shoe about an axis extendinglongitudinally of the shoe in substan- H tially the plane of the solewhereby the sole of the shoe can be brought into the desired planetransversely of the shoe by the upward pressure of the shoe against theabutments forming a part of the upper tensioning and securing devices. Afeature of the present invention contemplates the provision in a jack ofthis general character of means for permitting a lateral adjustment ofthe shoe supporting means with relation to the axis about WlliCh theshoe can tip, thereby equalizing the pressure of the shoe against theabutments and adapting a machine provided with a jack of this characterfor satisfactory operation upon both right andleft shoes and upon shoesbuilt upon lasts having an ex cessive swing. In a jack provided withheel "toe this feature of the invention cont'enn piates laterallyadjusting either and preferably both of the rests. 7

In addition to the ieatures or the invention above referredt thepresentinvention also consists in-devices, combinations and arrangements ofparts he einafter described and claimed, which together with theadvantages to be obtained thereby, will be readily understood by oneskilled in the art from the'following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of'aside lasting and fastening machine embodying the invention, portions ofthe frame or base of the machine being broken away to more clearly.display the actuating parts; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machineillruatrat'ed in Fig. 1, looking from the left hand side, thebase beingshown in cross section; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken just'belowthe top portion of the base,- parts' having been broken away andremoved; Fig. 4 is a view in side 'elevation on an enlarged scale of thejack supporting parts; Fig. 5' is a view'in horizontal section alongthelined-5 of the parts shown in Fig.

4;, Fig. 6 is 'a detail view of the last pin and a portion or itssupporting member's; Fig. 7 is a similar view of the toe rest and aportion of the immediate supporting members; and Fig. 8 is a plan view'of the parts shown in Fig. '7.

The invention is herein illustrated as embodied in an automatic sidelasting machine which, except for the features embodying the presentinvention and except as hereinafter described, is the sonic in theconstruction, arrangement and mode of operation of its various parts stheme-chine disclosed in applicants pending application Serial No.295,080 h'ereinbefo'r'e referred to. The illustrated machine isprovidedwith a jack indicated at 2 constructed and arrangedto receive alast uponwhichare assembled 'a shoe upper andan insole, and with 2.

pair of lasting units, indicated at 4 and 6, each of which is. providedwith a presser-foot or abutment 8 arranged to bear against the insole ofa shoe on the jack, with grippers and wipers for tensioning the shoeupper and working it into lasted relation to the last and insole, andwith staple forming and driving devices for securing the upper in thatrelation. The lasting units are mounted in the machine to move towardsand from each other and are so located that the presser-feet orabutments 8 bear upon the shoe upper ear its margin at opposite sides ofthe longitudinal central line of the sole and substantially in line witheach other transversely of the sole. The two lasting units operatesiinultaneously uponopposite sides of the shoe upper, and eachlastingunit operates progressively and successively along the side of the shoeto perform a lasting operation from the heel breast line to the tip lineor the shoe. The jack is pivotally mounted at its lower end so that itsupper end can swing inwardly and outwardly to locate the shoetransversely in the proper position with relation to the lasting units,and is also pivotally mounted so that it can swing in a directionextending longitudinally of the shoe to transfer the point of operationof the lasting units along the shoe. The jack yieldingly pressedupwardly to hold the sole of the shoe in contactwith the abutments 1 3of the lasting units and, as the shoe is fed by the longitudinalswinging movement of the jack, the transverse position of the shoe iscontrolled by the engagement of the abutments with the insole -rib.

The upper tensioning and securing devices of the lasting heads areactuated and controlled from a cam shaft 10 which is driven from adriving mechanism indicated at 12 and which makes one revolution foreach cycle of operations of the upper tensioning and securing devices.As the lasting operationprogresses along a shoe,

the bottom or sole surface of the shoe adjacent the point of operationis maintained both transversel'y and longitudinally of the shoe bytipping 1 the shoe about an axis extending longitudinally of the shoe insubstantially the plane of the sole and about an aXiseXtendingtransverselyof the slice at the point of operation. To enable the' shoeto be tipped about the axis extending longitudinally of the shoe, theheel and toe supports for the shoe are mounted in the jack frame so asto swing freely about this longitudinal axis and thus permit the shoe tobe tipped into the desired transverse plane by the pressure of the soleat-opposite sides of the center line of tli'e'sole against the abutments'8 of the last in'g units. To enable the shoe to be tipped about thetransverse axis through the points of con-- tact of the abutments 8, thejack mounted at its lowerend upon a movable support so arranged that themovement of. the support swings the entire jack about the line joiningthe abutments 8 as a center. The movements of this support are producedand controlled through connections actuated froma pattern cam shaft,

1,923,154 side lasting of the upper has been completed.

The upper tensioning and securing devices then cease to operate, butcertain parts of the machine continue in operation and produce adownward and outward movement of the jack and a return of the jack tothe original position in which the shoe to be operated upon was placedon the jack. Also, during this return movement of the jack, the supportsfor the shoe are relatively actuated to unclamp the shoe to permit itsready removal from the jack.

Except for the constructionshereinafter specifically described asembodying the several featuresof the present invention, the variousparts of the machine so far referred to are the same in construction andarrangement as the corresponding parts of the machine of applicantsprior application and, although many of these parts are illustrated inthe drawings, further description is believed to be unnecessary.

As has been stated, a feature of the present invention relates to animproved and simplified structure for supporting the jack. In theillustrated embodiment of this feature, the lower end of the jackspindle is pivotally mounted by means of a gimbal joint upon the upperend of a vertically movable slideindicated at 16. This slide is in theform of a comparatively long post rectangular in cross sectionandmounted in its guideway so as to be incapable of any rotatingmovement about its axis. The guideway for the support is formed inacarrier 18 hereinafter described, and comprises two series of rolls 20mounted in the carrier and arranged to bear against the four sides ofthe support, there being two series of these rolls with eight rolls ineach series. The two series of rolls are separated so as to engage thesupport near its upper and lower ends and thus hold the support firmlyagainst displacement laterally in any direction, while permitting it toslide freely in a vertical direction. The rolls of each series arearranged to engage the support near its corners, at which points thesupport is provided with suitable wear resisting strips 22. To force thejack support yieldingly upward so as to press the sole of a shoe on thejack against the abutments 8 of the 1 lasting units, a comparativelylong spring 24 is located within the support 16 which is made hollow toreceive it and is held between a seat at the upper end of the supportand a disk 26 supported upon a screw 28 adjustably mounted in thecarrier 18. To permit a comparatively wide range in the up and downmovement of the support 16 without materially affecting the force withwhich the shoe is pressed against the abutments of the lasting units,the spring 24 may consist of a number of nested spirals each formed ofcomparatively light wire, but by their united action exerting'therequired upward force on the support.

A feature of the present invention is embodied in means for locking thejack support against downward movement during each operation of theupper tensioning and stapling devices. As illustrated, this'lockingmeans comprises a pinch dog or detent 30 fulcrumed on a bolt 32extending through a portion of the carrier 18 parallel to one of thesides of the support 16. The detent 30 is provided with lugs to engagethe guide strips 20 on one side of the support and, in order to receivethe thrust exerted by the detent on the support, abutments 34 areprovided which are adjustably mounted in the carrier 18 at the oppositeside of the support from the detent. The detent is operated to lock andrelease the jack support in timed relation to the operation of the uppertensioning and securing devices by a cam 36 on the cam shaft (see Fig.2) through connections comprising a lever 38 pivoted on the machineframe and engaging at one end with a projecting arm 40 of the detent anda bell crank lever 42 having one arm in engagement with the cam 36 andthe other arm connected by a link 44 to an arm of the lever 38. A spring46 is stretched between one arm of the lever 38 and the frame of themachine and the arrangement of the cam 36 and connections to the detent30 is such that the movement of the detent into locking position isproduced by the action of the spring 46 While the movement of the detentin a direction to release the jack support is produced positively by thecam. The carrier 18 is mounted to move on the machine frame in adirection extending longitudinally of the shoe, as will be hereinafterdescribed and, to provide for this movement the arm of the lever 88which engages the arm 40 of the detent is extended in the direction ofmovement of the carrier, and is provided with a slot to receive the endof the arm 40.

The carrier 18 in which the jack support 16 is mounted for verticalsliding movement is itself mounted for horizontal sliding movement onthe frame of the machine. As illustrated, the

carrier 18 is mounted to slide on a pair of rails I 48 and 50 secured tothe machine base one above the other and separated a sufficient distanceto give firm support to the carrier. The rail 48 is provided with aV-shaped upper edge which is engaged by two widely separated groovedpulleys 52 on the carrier 18 and the rail 50 is provided with aV'-shaped lower edge which is engaged by two widely separated groovedpulleys 54 also mounted on the carrier.

14 comprising a chain 56 extending across the front of the machine (seeFig. 3) adjustably attached to the carrier 18 by an eccentric bolt 58mounted in a rearwardly extending arm of the carrier. The chain 56 islooped around a pulley 69 on the forward end of a lever 62', the rearend of which is engaged by a cam on the pattern cam shaft 14. The chain56 extends from the pulley 60 across the front of the machine and issecured to the left-hand side of the machine base. A movement of thepulley 60 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3, exerts .a pull on the chain56 and moves the carrier 18 a distance equal to twice the distance movedaround a fixed pulley '72 and is connected at its other end to one endof a spring 74. The other end of this spring 74 is connected by a chain76 to the base of the machine.

The jack of the illustrated machine is pro-' vided with heel and toerests pivotally mounted so as to permit a tipping movement of thesh'oeabout an axis extending longitudinally of the shoe in substantially theplane of the sole. Except for the construction which provides for alateral adjustment of one or bothof these rests, the jack is the same inthe construction and arrangement of its parts as the jack of the machinedisclosed in applicants pending application. As illustrated, the jackcomprises a U- shaped frame rigid with the upper end of the jackspindle, the lower end of which spindle is mounted by means of a gimbaljoint on. the upperend of the support 16, The toe rest for the shoecomprises a suitably shaped block 78 mounted upon a bracket 80 which ispivotally supported in one of upwardly extending arms of theU-shapedframe. The pivotal axis of the bracket 80 is arranged so that itis in line substantially with the longitudinal central line "of thebottom of the shoe supported on the jack.

In order to-permit a lateral adjustment of the toe rest so as to producea corresponding lateral shift of the bottom of the shoe with relationtothe pivotal axis about which the rest swings, the rest is mounted on alaterallyextending guideway formed onthe bracket 89 and held in thedesired lateral position on the guideway' by means of a clamping screw82 passing through a slot in thev bracket into the rest; The heel restcomprises a last pin 84 which extends upwardly from a bracket pivotallysupported, in line with the pivot of the bracket 80 of the toe rest,upon a longitudinally adjustable bar 86 mounted to slide in the otherarm of the U- shapcd frame; In order to permit a lateral adjustment ofthe last pin with a corresponding shift'of theheel portion of the shoewith relation to the axis about which the heel. and toe rests swing,the'supporting bracket'of the heelpin is made in two parts 88 and 9D,the part 88 from which the heel pin projects'being pivot"- ally mountedat. the lower end of the part QO by means of .a vertical pivot bolt 92,permitting the part 88 to be swung laterally with relation to the part90. tion to whichrit may be adjusted, a spring pressed lcckingpin 94 ismounted in the part 88 and arranged to engage any one of a series ofholes formed in the lower end of the part 90. The lateral adjustmentofthe toe and heel rests permits the bottom of theshoe to be broughtinto a position in which the longitudinal central line of the solecorresponds substantially with the longitudinal axis about whichthe-shoe is tipped by the pressure of the sole against the abutments ofthe lasting units.v The shoe sole can thus be'forced with equalpressureagainst the two abutments and the shoe. can be securely held at bothsides whether it is a right or a left shoe, or a shoe having anexcessive swing The lateral adjustment of the heel rest is of specialvalue when shoes'provided with narrow shanks are to be operated upon.

The jack of the illustrated machine is pro-- vided with shoe jacking andunjacking devices which are automatically actuated from a pulley 96mounted in the jack support 16 through a gimbal joint and a shaft 98extending from the glinbal joint upwardly through the jack spindle, theconstruction and operation being the same To hold the part 88 in anyposias in the machine of applicant's prior application. On account ofthemanner in which the jack is supported, however, a slight change has beenmade in thearrangement of the guiding pulleys for the cable 98 whichrotates the pulley 96. In the illustrated construction this cable leadsfrom one .side of the pulley directly to a guide roll 100 on the base ofthe machine and, fromthe other side of the pulley, leads to a guide roll102 mounted upon the end of a freely swinging arm 104 pivoted on themachine base and thence to the drum which is actuated from the patterncam shaft. 7

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated, and aconstruction embodying the several features of the invention having beendescribe'dywhat is claimed is:

1. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination,a shoe supporting jack, devices for performing an operationprogressively along the bottom margin of a shoe supported on the jack, asupport on which the jack is pivotally mounted relatively remote fromthe point of operation to move in directions extending transversely andlongitudinally of the shoe to locate the shoe transversely with relationto said devices and to transfer the point of operation alongthe shoe,and a carrier mounted to move during the operation on a shoe in adirection extending longitudinally of the shoe in which the jack supportis mounted to slide in a direction substantially perpendicular to thebottom surface of the shoe to maintain said surface in the desired planeadjacent said devices.

2. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination,a shoe support ing jack, devices for performing an operationprogressively along the bottom margin of a shoe supported on the jack, asupport on which the jack is pivotally mounted relatively remote fromthe point of operation to move in directions extending transversely andlongitudinally of the shoe to locate the shoe transersely with relationto said devices and to transfer the point ofoperation along the shoe,and a carrier ing jack, devices for performing an operationprogressively along the bottom margin of a shoe supported on the jack, asupport on which the jack isrpivotally mounted relatively remote fromthe point of operation to move in directions extendingtransverselyandlongitudinally of the shoe to locate the shoe transversely withrelation to said devices and to transfer the point of operation alongthe'shoe, a carrier mounted to move in a direction extendinglongitudinally of the shoe in which the jack support is mounted to slidein a direction substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of theshoe to maintain said surface in the desired plane adj acentsaiddevices, and means yieldingly forcing the support towards the pointof operation.

port on which the jack is pivotally mounted relatively remote from thepoint of operation to move in directions extending transversely andlongitudinally of the shoe to locate the shoe transversely with relationto said devices and to transfer the point of operation along the shoe, acarrier mounted to move in a direction extending longitudinally of theshoe in which the jack support is mounted to slide in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of the shoe tomaintain said surface in the desired plane adjacent said devices, andmeans for locking the support to the carrier against movement away fromthe point of operation during each successive operation of said devices.

5. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination,a shoe supporting jack, devices for performing an, operationsuccessively and progressively along the bottom margin of a shoesupported on the jack, asunport on which the jack is pivotally mountedrelatively remote from the point of operation to move in directionsextending transversely and longitudinally of the shoe to locate the shoetransversely with relation to said devices and to transfer the point ofoperation along the shoe, said support being movable in a dire tionsubstantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of the shoe, means foryieldingly forcing the support towards the point of operation, and meansfor locking the support against movement away from the point ofoperation during each successive operation of said devices.

6. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination,a shoe supporting jack, devices for performing an operationprogressively along the bottom margin of ashes supported on the jack, asupport comprising a hollow post on which the jack pivotally mountedrelatively remote from the point of operation to move in directionsextending transversely and longitudinally of the shoe to locate the shoetransversely with relation to said devices and to transfer the point ofoperation along the shoe, a carrier mounted to move in a directionextending longitudinally of the shoe provided with a guideway in whichthe hollow post is mounted to slide in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the bottom surface of the shoe to maintain said surfacein the desired plane adjacent said devices, and a spring located withinthe hollow post for yieidingly forcing the support towards the point ofoperation.

7. A machine for operating on shoes having, in combination, a shoesupporting jack, devices for performing an operation progressively alongthe bottom margin of a shoe supported on the jack, a support comprisinga rectangular post on which the jack is pivotally mounted relativelyremote from the. point of operation to move in drections extendingtransversely and longitudinally of the shoe, and a carrier mounted tomove in a direction extending longitudinally of the shoe provided withrolls arranged to form a guideway in which the jack support can slide ina direction substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of theshoe.

8. A machine for operating'on shoes having, in combination, a shoesupporting jack, devices for performing an operation progressively alongthe bottom margin of a shoe supported on the jack, a support on whichthe jack is pivotally mounted relatively remote from the point ofoperation to move in directions extending transversely andlongitudinally of the shoe, a carrier in which the jack support ismounted to move in a direction substantially perpendicular to the bottomsurface of the shoe, guiding rails for the carrier extending in straightlines longitudinally of the shoe, and rolls on the carrier engagingtherails.

9. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes having, in combination,a jack comprisa frame and means for upporting a shoe in the frame whilepermitting the shoe to tip about an extending longitudinally of theshoe, abutments arranged to engage near its opposite marginal portionsthe sole of a shoe on the jack, means acting on the jack to force theshoe against said abutments and to tip the shoe about axis, andmeanspermitting an adjustment of the shoe supporting means laterallywith relation to said axis.

18. A machine for use in the manufacture of 11. A machine for use in themanufacture of ice shoes having, in combination, a shoe supporting jackhaving heel and toe supports, a frame I ing the support laterally withrelation to the axis of the rocking movement.

ROBERT H. LAWSON.

